Snoring treatment

ABSTRACT

Health-sensing and health-action devices and systems are generally described. The health-sensing device may include one or more of a sensor, a filter, and a transmitter. The sensor may be configured to sense one or more factors relating to an indicator of a health related condition or occurrence such as snoring and may include one or more microphone devices, accelerometers, and/or MEMs devices. The filter may be configured to evaluate a signal from the sensor and determine if the indicator has been detected. The transmitter may be arranged for initiating a transmission based on a signal from the filter. The health-action device may be configured for responding to an indicator of a health related condition or occurrence of a user and may include one or more of a receiver, a processor, and a responder. The health-action device may stimulate the user or may cancel the snoring sound.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.12/436,550 filed May 6, 2009, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,193,941 on Jun.5, 2012. This application is incorporated by reference herein in itsentirety and for all purposes.

This application is also related to the following U.S. patentapplication Ser. Nos.:

12/436,615 entitled Accelerometer Based Health Sensing, filed on May 6,2009, and published as U.S. Publication No. 2010-0286545 on Nov. 11,2010;

12/392,889, entitled Sudden Infant Death Prevention Clothing, filed onFeb. 25, 2009, and published as U.S. Publication No. 2010-0217158 onAug. 26, 2010;

12/436,462, entitled Elderly Fall Detection, filed on May 6, 2009, andpublished as U.S. Publication No. 2010-0286567 on Nov. 11, 2010, nowabandoned;

12/392,913, entitled Microphone for Remote Health Sensing, filed on Feb.25, 2009, and published as U.S. Publication No. 2010-0217345 on Aug. 26,2010, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,628,478 on Jan. 14, 2014; and

12/400,488, entitled Noise Cancellation for Phone Conversation, filed onMar. 9, 2009, and published as U.S. Publication No. 2010-0226491 on Sep.9, 2010.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Several health related conditions or occurrences may have indicatorsthat reflect a measurable factor such as motion or lack of motion. Forexample, for sleep apnea, a sleep disorder where an individual stopsbreathing for an extended period of time, the indicator may be a lapsein breathing. As such, the individual's chest and/or abdomen may fail tomove during this period of time. Similarly, motion may also be relatedto the non-breathing infant suffering from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome(SIDS). An additional example of a health related condition oroccurrence relating to motion is an injury to an elderly person causedby falling.

While some indicators may reflect motion, other indicators may reflectan additional or alternative measurable factor. The most basic vitalsigns are pulse, blood pressure, body temperature, and respiratory rate.As discussed above, respiratory rate may reflect motion. However, whilepulse may be based at least in part on the motion of the heart, it isoften sensed using sound sensing instruments. Blood pressure may alsooften be sensed using a sound instrument together with a pressure cuffand body temperature is independent of motion altogether. Additionally,with respect to SIDS, an indicator of a possibly dangerous condition maybe when an infant is sleeping on their stomach. That is, where infantsare positioned on their back when sleeping, the number of occurrences ofSIDS tends to decrease. Thus, an indicator relating to SIDS may reflecta measurable factor such as the sleep position of the infant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Subject matter is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in theconcluding portion of the specification. The foregoing and otherfeatures of the present disclosure will become more fully apparent fromthe following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict onlyseveral examples in accordance with the disclosure and are, therefore,not to be considered limiting of its scope, the disclosure will bedescribed with additional specificity and detail through use of theaccompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system for monitoring indicators ofhealth related conditions or occurrences, arranged in accordance withsome examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a top schematic view of the components of a health-sensingdevice, arranged in accordance with some examples of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a health-sensing device incorporated intoclothing, arranged in accordance with some examples of the presentdisclosure.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic diagrams of an accelerometer within ahealth-sensing device, arranged in accordance with some examples of thepresent disclosure.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams of a capacitor-basedaccelerometer within a health-sensing device, arranged in accordancewith some examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating actions taken in response to a signal,in accordance with some examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a sound cancelling mitigation device,in accordance with some examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a diagram of a health-sensing device adapted to monitor a userfor snoring, in accordance with some examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a diagram of a health-sensing device adapted to monitor asleep partner of a snoring individual, in accordance with some examplesof the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a diagram of a method of monitoring indicators of a healthrelated condition or occurrence, in accordance with some examples of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a diagram of a method of monitoring snoring, in accordancewith some examples of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a diagram of a computing system arranged in accordance withsome examples of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description sets forth various examples along withspecific details to provide a thorough understanding of claimed subjectmatter. It will be understood by those skilled in the art, however, thatclaimed subject matter may be practiced without some or more of thespecific details disclosed herein. Further, in some circumstances,well-known methods, procedures, systems, components and/or circuits havenot been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuringclaimed subject matter.

In the following detailed description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings,similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless contextdictates otherwise. The illustrative examples described in the detaileddescription, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Otherexamples may be utilized, and other changes may be made, withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presentedherein. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the presentdisclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated in theFigures, may be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designedin a wide variety of different configurations, all of which areexplicitly contemplated herein.

Monitoring indicators of health related conditions may allow certainconditions to be treated and may facilitate intervention wherenecessary. Additionally, monitoring the indicators may facilitate promptresponse to certain health related occurrences. Manual monitoring ofthese indicators may be difficult due to the subtle nature of theseindicators together with unpredictable and sometimes untimely healthrelated conditions or occurrences.

The following detailed description relates to sensing measurable factorsassociated with indicators of health related conditions or occurrencesand further relates to actions that may be taken in response to thosemeasurements. The description includes discussion of sensors, forsensing several measurable factors, and data acquired by the sensors.The description further includes a discussion of a system that may sensemeasurable factors and acquire data, provide a sensor signal with datato a filter, filter the data provided by the sensor, provide a filtersignal to a transmitter, and transmit an associated transmission signal.The system may also receive a transmitted signal, process thetransmitted signal, and take or prompt a responsive action. For example,in the case of snoring, the system may sense motion associated with thesleep partner of a snorer, provide a sensor signal to a filter which mayfilter the result and transmit a signal when the result is indicative ofsleep irritation. In turn, the system may receive the transmitted signaland process the transmitted signal depending on the goals and set-up ofthe particular system. That is, again in the case of snoring, the systemmay process the transmitted signal by activating a mitigation deviceinvolving emitting a sound which attempts to cancel the sound of thesnorer.

More particularly, in some examples the system may include anaccelerometer type sensor adapted to sense measurable factors such asthe motion or the position of a user. In an example, the system mayinclude a microphone type sensor adapted to sense sound. The system mayinclude a filter in the form of a processor for analyzing the data fromthe sensor to determine if an indicator has been detected. A transmittermay be included for transmitting a signal. The system may include areceiver for receiving the transmitted signal and an additionalprocessor. The additional processor may determine what type ofresponsive action may be appropriate and may further initiate or promptthat action. These actions may include stimulating the user to interruptan indicator episode, notifying a third party to intervene, monitoringthe user, or mitigating the indicator episode. The sensor or transmittermay be provided for placement at separate locations.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a schematic diagram of a system 20 formonitoring indicators of health related conditions or occurrences isshown, according to some examples of the present disclosure. The system20 may include one or more of a sensor 22, a filter 24, and atransmitter 26. The system 20 may also include a receiver 28, aprocessor 30, and a responder 32. The sensor 22, filter 24, andtransmitter 26 may be provided as a health-sensing device 34 of thesystem. Further, the receiver 28, processor 30, and responder 32 may beprovided as a health-action device 35 of the system 20. Thehealth-sensing device 34 and health-action device 35 may be provided bythe same entity or may be separately provided while being configured tocommunicate with each other. Also, the various functions and features ofthe individual functional components (e.g., 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, and 32)may be combined into one or more integrated solutions, or separated intoadditional functional components as may be desired in a particularimplementation.

The sensor 22 may include one or more individual sensors of any variety.In some examples, the sensor 22 may be adapted to sense measurablefactors reflecting indications of health related conditions oroccurrences. For example, the sensor 22 may be a thermometer, anautomatic blood pressure sensor, or a pulse sensor. In another example,the sensor 22 may be an accelerometer. In still further examples, thesensor 22 may be a microphone or an ultrasound sensor. In still anotherexample, the sensor 22 may be a rapid eye movement sensor. In yetanother example, the sensor 22 may be a blood sugar sensor or an airflow sensor. The type of sensor 22 used, may be based at least in parton the type of health related condition or occurrence that the system 20is intended to address. Additionally, multiple sensors 22 may beincluded to address several conditions or occurrences at any given time.Additionally, several levels of sophistication may be available for eachtype of sensor 22. For example, several levels of precision, accuracy,and detail may be available depending on the type and quality of thesensor 22 selected for use. Moreover, the sensor 22 may providecontinuous or periodic signals to the filter 24 or the signals may bebased at least in part on the circumstances of what is being sensed andwhat values are being sensed.

An accelerometer type sensor 22 may sense changes in velocity and thusmay be used to sense motion. Such a sensor 22 may be appropriate forhealth related conditions such as sleep apnea, Sudden Infant DeathSyndrome (SIDS), heart conditions, pregnancy, or any other healthcondition related to motion. As discussed briefly above, sleep apnea maybe indicated by a lapse in breathing, which may cause motion of thechest and/or abdomen to stop. As such, the application of anaccelerometer to the chest and/or abdomen of a person suffering fromsleep apnea may allow for sensing the associated breathing patterns.Regarding SIDS, while the actual cause may be unknown, it may involve alapse in breathing and an accelerometer may be used in a similar manneras with sleep apnea. With respect to heart conditions, motions relatedto a heartbeat may be sensed in several locations on the human bodyallowing for sensing of patterns including heart arrhythmias. Regardingpregnancy, the motions associated with uterine contractions may also beappropriately sensed with an accelerometer by placing it on the surfaceof the abdomen to sense the motion of the abdomen and reflect thecontraction pattern of the uterus.

In addition to the health related conditions discussed above, anaccelerometer may also be appropriate for health related occurrencessuch as falling down, blunt force trauma, or any occurrence involving achange in speed or direction. When a person falls, they may experiencean initial acceleration followed by additional acceleration until theyencounter the ground or other object, at which point they may experiencea rapid deceleration or negative acceleration. As such, the occurrenceof a fall or series of falls may be sensed by an accelerometerpositioned on the body and may be particularly useful for the elderly.Similarly, an accelerometer may be used to sense occurrences related toblunt force trauma. This may be relevant for car accidents, abuse, orsimilar situations.

In addition to sensing motion, an accelerometer may sense position inthe absence of motion. An accelerometer may be sensitive togravitational forces depending on its orientation relative to thesurface of the earth. As such, an accelerometer may also be used tosense the position of a user where the orientation of the accelerometeris dependent on the position of the user. This may facilitate use of anaccelerometer for monitoring infants for SIDS. It has been shown thatinfants positioned on their back while sleeping may be less likely to besubject to SIDS. An accelerometer thus may be used to sense this sleepposition by securing the accelerometer to the infant such that theorientation of the accelerometer changes as the infant's sleep positionchanges allowing the accelerometer to sense when the infant may be facedown.

A microphone may also be used as a sensor 22 to sense sound and may beappropriate for health related conditions such as snoring, heartdisease, or any other condition involving the emission of sound. Like anaccelerometer, a microphone may be used to sense heartbeats from severallocations on the body, allowing for sensing of patterns includingheartbeat arrhythmias. With respect to snoring, a microphone may be usedto sense the volume, frequency, pattern or any other aspect of the soundrelevant to the snoring condition.

Continuing with the discussion of FIG. 1, a filter 24 may be providedand may be configured to receive a sensor signal from a single sensor22. In other examples, the filter 24 may be programmed to monitor morethan one incoming sensor signals from one or more sensors 22. The sensorsignal may include one or more digital signals or analog signals, whichmay carry data from the sensor 22 to the filter 24 for further analysisor processing. In one example, a basic signal filter (e.g., a digitalfilter or an analog filter) may be capable of determining whether aspecific condition exists or does not exist. That is, the sensor 22 mayprovide one sensor signal to the filter 24 for one condition and analternative sensor signal for another condition. The filter 24 may waitfor one or the other sensor signal and then may communicate acorresponding filter signal to the transmitter 26. In some examples, thefilter 24 may be omitted, for example, where the sensor 22 is adapted toprovide a sensor signal when a specific condition exists. In anotherexample, the filter may be in the form of a processor (e.g., a digitalsignal processor (DSP), a micro-controller, a micro-processor, an analogsignal processor, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), an applicationspecific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc.), and may be used to provideadditional analysis of the sensor signal. That is, the sensor 22 mayprovide a sensor signal involving a value for comparison to a thresholdvalue defined relative to certain health related conditions discussedbelow. Alternatively, the sensor 22 may provide a series of sensorsignals to be considered together. For example, the series of sensorsignals may define a pattern where gaps or inconsistencies in thepattern may be analyzed.

Based at least in part on the result of analysis conducted by the filter24, the filter 24 may communicate a filter signal (i.e., a filteredversion of the signal received from sensor 22) to the transmitter 26.The filter signal may take one form or a combination of forms. In oneexample, the filter signal may reflect that an indicator has beendetected. In another example, the filter signal may be an indicationsignal together with the data received from sensor 22. In still anotherexample, the filter signal may be an indication signal together with thedata received from the sensor 22 and any additional informationregarding the indicating episode. This additional information mayinclude interpretive information such as severity, duration, or type ofcondition or occurrence. In yet another example, the filter signal maybe a continuous data stream reflecting the continuing values sensed bythe sensor 22. In still another example, the filter signal may includeinstructions relating to the action to be taken with respect to theseveral types of data. In some examples, the filter 24 may be eitheromitted or incorporated into the sensor 22 and the filter signal may beprovided by the sensor 22 to the transmitter 26. In still anotherexample, the filter signal may take the form of a continuous orperiodically sent beacon signal for assuring that communication has notbeen lost due to reduced proximity, power loss, or other conditions.

In the case of sleep apnea, the filter 24 may receive a sensor signalfrom the sensor 22 reflecting the breathing pattern of a user. Thesensor signal may have gaps where the user pauses between breaths. Thefilter 24, in this example, may be a processor capable of timing thelength of the gaps and comparing the length of the gap to a thresholdvalue. A gap in breathing that exceeds approximately 10 to 20 secondsmay be considered an apnea. Alternatively, other lengths of time may beused and may be customized to a user. As such, the processor maycommunicate a filter signal to the transmitter 26 when a selectedthreshold value is exceeded. The filter signal may be an indicationsignal reflecting a likelihood that an apnea has occurred. In anotherexample, the filter signal may be an indication signal together with thedata relating to the breathing pattern surrounding the apnea. In anotherexample, the filter signal may also include data relating to the apneasuch as how long breathing lapsed, how many apneas per hour areoccurring, and the like.

The above described process may also be performed by the filter 24 whenan infant is being monitored for the breathing related aspects of SIDS.Where the infant is being monitored for the sleep position aspects ofSIDS, the filter 24 may have alternative functionality. The filter 24may receive a sensor signal from the sensor 22 reflecting the sleepposition of the infant. This may be a signal with a varying scale or itmay be a signal reflecting that the infant may be on his/her back or onhis/her stomach. Where the sensor 22 is limited to a sensor signalreflecting that the infant is on his/her back or stomach, the filter 24may be configured to do substantially nothing unless and until thesensor signal is received reflecting that the infant is on his/herstomach. At that point, the filter 24 may communicate a filter signal tothe transmitter 26. This example may be simplified where the sensor 22does not send a sensor signal unless the infant is on his/her stomach.In that example, the filter 24 may be configured to initiate a filtersignal to the transmitter 26 when the filter 24 receives a sensor signalfrom the sensor 22. Alternatively, the filter 24 may be eliminated andthe sensor 22 may send a sensor signal to the transmitter 26. In theabove examples, the signal (whether a filter signal or a sensor signal)sent to the transmitter 26 may take several forms and may include on ormore levels of data. This may be dependent on the level ofsophistication of both the sensor 22 and the filter 24 and furtherdependent on the goals associated with using the system.

In the case of falls, the filter 24 may receive a sensor signal from thesensor 22 reflecting the level of force being experienced by the user.In some examples, this level of force may be in comparison to that ofgravity and thus may be presented as a certain number or fraction of Gforces or G's. In some other examples, the level of fall may be based atleast in part on a physiological model including an analysis of peakacceleration, total energy, and direction. As such, when the sensorsignal reflects that the G force has exceeded a threshold limit or themodel reflects a certain level of likelihood of fall or injury, thefilter 24 may communicate a filter signal to the transmitter 26. In someexamples, the filter signal may be an indication that a fall has likelyoccurred. In some other examples, the filter may define the fall asmeeting a certain level. That is, a low level may indicate likelihood offall, or light fall. An intermediate level may indicate a higherlikelihood of fall, or medium fall. A high level may indicate a highlikelihood of fall, or hard fall. In each level, a specific response mayapply. As such, the filter signal may be adapted accordingly. Inadditional examples, the filter signal may include additional datarelating to the level of G force experienced and may include some dataregarding the history of falls.

The filter 24 may have a similar role in uses of the system formonitoring heart conditions. The filter 24 may receive a sensor signalfrom the heart sensor and may be programmed to recognize several knownheart arrhythmias or may be a more basic filter limited to recognizingonly life threatening heart conditions. In either case, the filter 24may be configured to respond to heart arrhythmias based at least in parton specific instructions related to each or more generic instructionsrelated to all arrhythmias. Having recognized a heart arrhythmia orother known problem, the filter 24 may communicate a filter signal tothe transmitter 26. In some examples, the filter 24 may continually senda filter signal to the transmitter 26 with the results received by thesensor 22 and also continue to monitor the sensor signal from the sensor22 for problems.

Similarly, with respect to contractions during pregnancy, the filter 24may receive a sensor signal from a contraction sensor and may interpretthe data with respect to frequency and/or magnitude. In this example,while high frequency and/or high magnitude may trigger the filter 24 tocommunicate a filter signal to the transmitter 26, the filter 24 mayalso send a continuous filter signal to the transmitter 26 reflectingthe continuing data and thus the contraction pattern received from thecontraction sensor.

In other examples, the filter 24 may also be adapted for use inmonitoring or treating snoring. The filter 24 may receive a sensorsignal from a sound sensor and may measure the level of the sound todetermine if it exceeds a threshold level. As discussed with respect toother conditions, this example may include sending a range of possiblefilter signals to the transmitter 26 including an indication of snoring,the decibel of the snoring, and/or a continuous signal reflecting thesnoring pattern. In some examples, the filter 24 may receive a sensorsignal from a motion sensor or other sensor positioned on or around asleep partner. In this example, the sensor positioned on or around thesleep partner may be adapted to sense sleep partner irritation. As such,the filter 24, in this example, may be adapted to rely on both the soundsensor and the motion sensor to determine what action to take. That is,if the snoring is loud or continuous, the filter 24 may send a filtersignal to the transmitter to trigger a sound canceling device or totrigger a stimulation device. The filter 24 may receive information fromthe motion sensor as to the irritation level of the sleep partner. Assuch, when the snoring is not loud or continuous or otherwisebothersome, the filter 24 may still send a filter signal to thetransmitter 26 to trigger a sound canceling device or to trigger astimulation device. In an example, the filter 24 may not send a filtersignal to the transmitter 26 if no sound is being detected or the soundis low. That is, if the sleep partner is just restless, a filter signalmay not be sent.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, the transmitter 26 of the system 20may include any known device for transmitting information. This mayinclude any wired transmitter or wireless transmitter. The transmissionmay be in digital or analog form and may be a radio transmission orother type of transmission. Any suitable radio transmitter, low voltagecommunication device, wireless device, or any communication device knownin the art may be used. In some examples, the transmitter 26 may be aradio packet, short distance communication system. In other examples,the transmitter 26 may be adapted for longer distance communication.

Accordingly, the receiver 28 of the system 20 may be any known devicefor receiving information. The receiver 28 may be chosen at least inpart to correlate with the type of transmitter 26 used. As such, thereceiver 28 may include any wired receiver or wireless receiver.Moreover, the receiver 28 may be adapted to receive the transmissionfrom the transmitter 26 and communicate the associated information tothe processor 30 with a receiver signal. The transmitter 26 may includean antenna of any variety. In an example, the antenna may be astrip-line antenna. In some other examples, the antenna may be acoil-type antenna.

Still referring to FIG. 1, the processor 30 may receive the transmittedsignal from the receiver 28. As with the filter 24, the processor 30 maybe chosen at least in part based on the goals and needs of the system.The processor 30 may be triggered by the receiver signal to complete asingle specific task. In an example, having received a receiver signal,the processor 30 may drive a device in response. In some other examples,the processor 30 may separate the incoming transmitted data intocategories relating to the action to be taken. Some of the data may beintended for storage or display, some may be intended to trigger astimulus, notification, or mitigation response, and some may requireinterpretation prior to moving on to these tasks. As such, the processor30 may perform several tasks corresponding to the form of the data itreceives and the actions that need to be taken.

Concluding the discussion of FIG. 1, the responder 32 may includeseveral options for devices adapted to respond to the informationgathered by the sensor 22. The responder 32 may include a database forstoring the data for later analysis. The responder 32 may also include adisplay for displaying the data for real time analysis or monitoring. Inone example, the responder 32 is a stimulation device for stimulatingthe user. In another example, the responder 32 may be a notificationdevice for notifying a third party. In another example, the responder 32may be a mitigating device for mitigating a given situation.

For example, the responder 32 may include a computer with a graphicsdisplay and a hard drive or other database structure. Alternatively, astimulation device in the form of a vibratory or alarm type device maybe included. Alternatively, a similar device may be included to notify athird party. The notification device may include a light up display,alarm, or vibratory device. Alternatively, a mitigating device mayinclude any device adapted to assist a user or other person in copingwith a health condition or occurrence.

In the case of sleep apnea, a non-breathing episode may be interruptedby a stimulus which arouses a user sufficiently for them to beginbreathing again. Alternatively, a notification may be provided to athird party. In the case of SIDS, a parental monitor may be activated tonotify the parent of a life threatening or otherwise potentiallydangerous condition such as a non-breathing infant or an infant that mayhave rolled onto his/her stomach. In the case of heart conditions, theresponder 32 may include a device for stimulating the user and may shocktheir heart to attempt to correct an arrhythmia. In an example, theresponder 32 may include a database for storing a continuous stream ofheartbeat history. The responder 32 may also include a continual displayof the heartbeat on a computer display or other display to allow theheart to be monitored. In the case of a user who has fallen, theresponder 32 may include a notification device for notifying a nurse atthe user's nursing home, or a family member, that assistance may beneeded. In the case of snoring, a stimulation similar to that discussedabove regarding apnea may be included. In another example, a mitigationdevice such as a sound cancellation device may be used to cancel out thesound of the snoring in an effort to comfort those around the snoringperson.

FIG. 2 is a top schematic view of the components of a health-sensingdevice 34, arranged in accordance with some examples of the presentdisclosure. Health-sensing device 34 may include a sensor 22, a filter24, and a transmitter 26 and thus may include three elements of thesystem shown in FIG. 1. In other examples, more or fewer elements may beprovided. In an example, the sensor 22 may be an accelerometer,microphone, or any combination of previously described sensors. In anexample, the filter 24 may be a microprocessor and the transmitter 26may be a radio transmitter. Additionally shown is a power source 36(e.g. a battery) for powering the several elements of the health-sensingdevice 34. Other sensors 22, filters 24, and transmitters 26 describedherein or otherwise may also be used in a health-sensing device 34 likethe one described here and are within the scope of the presentdisclosure.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, the sensor 22 may be coupled to thefilter 24 with an information bus 23 for carrying information sensed bythe sensor 22 in the form of a sensor signal to the filter 24.Additionally, the filter 24 may be coupled to the transmitter 26 with anadditional information bus 25 for carrying information to thetransmitter 26 in the form of a filter signal. The power source 36 maybe included to power one or several of the included elements and may becoupled to each of the elements 22, 24, and 26 as shown with a powerwire or cord 27. In an alternative embodiment, the power source onlypowers the filter 24, which may power the sensor 22 and the transmitter26 by including power in conjunction with the data buses 23 and 25. Thepower source 36 may be a battery or series of batteries and may becapable of being turned on and off. In one example, the battery may be azinc based battery and may be a Zinc/Air battery. In some otherexamples, the battery may be a Lithium-ion based battery, a NickelCadmium based battery, or a Nickel Metal Hydride.

The example of FIG. 2 may include a substrate 37 for positioning of theelements of the health-sensing device. The substrate 37 may be a flatand/or flexible material for securing the elements of the device. Assuch, the substrate 37 may be silicon-based, ceramic-based, glass-type,quartz-type or any other reasonable material for positioning and of theelements. In some examples, the substrate 37 may be a high-performanceplastic such as polyimide or Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) film. In otherexamples, polyester may be used, for instance with silver screen printedcircuits. In other examples, a variety of potting materials may be usedsuch as an epoxy resin. The substrate 37 may also include an enclosingstructure. This enclosing structure may be in the form of a patch andmay include a shielding structure. For example, in the case of a radiofrequency transmitter and/or receiver, the patch may include a shieldingstructure to prevent radio frequency interference (RFI). The patch maybe a relatively soft flexible material or it may be a more rigidmaterial. The patch may be made from several materials including, butnot limited to nylon, cotton, plastic or any other material appropriatefor use in contact with the body or clothing. The material of the patchmay be waterproofed with a coating or be naturally waterproof. Dependingon the nature of the patch (e.g. flexible or rigid) the elements of thedevice may be enclosed within the patch in an envelope type structure orthe elements may be provided on the surface of a substrate 37. In oneexample, the elements of the device may be provided on the surface of asilicon based substrate 37, the substrate 37 further including anenveloping waterproofed nylon material in the form of a patch. Severalorientations of the elements within the patch may be used, based atleast in part on electrical connections between the elements andphysical placement within the patch. Depending on the type of sensor 22and the condition for which it is being used, the sensor 22 may belocated near the surface of the patch that is located adjacent to theuser so as to reduce relative movement, or other interference, betweenthe surface of the user and the sensor 22.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a health-sensing device incorporated intoclothing, arranged in accordance with some examples of the presentdisclosure. As shown, the patch may have an affixing element such as apeel and stick bottom surface 41 for adhering the patch to a user, wherea protective layer 43 over the adhesive may be removed prior to applyingthe patch. In one example, the patch may include a bio-adhesive forsecuring the patch directly to the skin of a user. This bio-adhesive mayhave an adhesive value so as to make removal difficult. In the case ofinfants or elderly users who may suffer from dementia or otherwise havea tendency to remove the device, the patch may be securely affixed tothe user and may not be easily removed. In an example, the patch may belocated in a hard to reach location to make removal difficult. Theaffixing element may be an attachment surface for repeated applicationsuch as a hook and loop surface with a complementary hook and loopsurface worn by the user. In still another example, the affixing elementmay include self securing straps for wrapping around a portion of auser's body for securing the patch between the straps and the surface ofthe user's body. The straps may have several openings for receivingcorresponding protrusions for adjustability or may be self-secured withbuttons, hook and loop, buckles, or other means known in the art.

Referring again to FIG. 3, in an example, the affixing element of thehealth-sensing device 34 may be adapted to incorporate the device 34into clothing. In some examples, the device 34 may be configuredsubstantially as shown and described with respect to FIG. 2. In oneexample, the device 34 may be sewn or otherwise affixed to baby clothing38 such as a sleeper, a shirt, a one size body suit or other attire wornby a baby. In another example, the patch may be sewn or otherwiseaffixed to adult clothing 40. The health-sensing device 34 may beotherwise secured to clothing through the use of buttons, fabric glue,or other methods known for fastening devices to clothing. In someexamples, the health-sensing device 34 may not be fixedly secured, butmay be placed in a pocket of a shirt or other clothing article.

The sensors or other elements of the present disclosure may bemicro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) devices. That is they mayincorporate integrated circuit technology with microfabrication in theform of micromachining. Alternatively, the sensors or other elements maybe made from more or less sophisticated technologies.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic diagrams of an accelerometer within ahealth-sensing device 34, arranged in accordance with some examples ofthe present disclosure. The accelerometer disclosed herein may sensemotion associated with the user. An accelerometer may function bymonitoring the effect on a mass 42 positioned on the end of acantilevered deflectable resistance. That is, the mass 42 may be held inplace with a deflectable resistance 44 as shown in FIG. 4A and mayotherwise be free to oscillate. When the accelerometer is moved, forexample, in the direction of the arrow from the FIG. 4A position to theFIG. 4B position, the mass 42 may have a tendency to stay in placerelative to the accelerometer. The motion of the accelerometer, thus,may cause a deflection 46 in the deflectable resistance 44 for any givenaccelerative motion. The deflection 46 may be a measurable distance andthe deflectable resistance 44 may have certain known section properties.As such, the deflection causing force acting on the mass 42 may becalculated from the deflection 46 and the section properties usingconventional beam theories. With a known deflection causing force and aknown mass, an acceleration may then be calculated using Newton's secondlaw of motion, F=ma. (e.g. a=F/m) Where the accelerometer is affixed toa user, the acceleration of the accelerometer may be assumed to matchthat of the user.

The accelerometer may be secured within a health-sensing device 34 toreduce the effect of relative motion between the accelerometer and theuser. Where the health-sensing device 34 is flexible, the accelerometermay be located near the affixing surface. Where a relatively rigiddevice is used and the accelerometer is secured therein, more optionsfor the location of the accelerometer may be available. In variousexamples, the accelerometer may take the form of a basic spring basedaccelerometer, an E-transformer accelerometer, or any otheraccelerometer. The accelerometer may be designed and calibrated based atleast in part on a specific health condition. In cases of smallaccelerations, such as heartbeats and contractions, a relativelysensitive accelerometer may be used. In contrast, where falls or suddeninvoluntary motions are being monitored, a relatively less sensitiveaccelerometer may be used.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams of a capacitor-basedaccelerometer within a health sensing device 34, arranged in accordancewith some examples of the present disclosure. The accelerometer withinthe health-sensing device 34 may take the form of a variable capacitancedevice. Capacitors may store energy in an electric field between a pairof conductor plates. The capacitance value of a capacitor may beaffected by several factors, such as the area and materials of theconductive plates, the distance between the conductive plates, and adielectric value associated with the gap between the conductive plates.As used herein, the variable capacitance device may sense motion ororientation by having a conductor plate spacing that varies depending onthe orientation or motion of the device. As such, the capacitor may beaffixed to a user causing the orientation or motion of the user toaffect the capacitance value of the variable capacitance device.

For example, the variable capacitance device may be designed with twoplates spaced apart from each other. In one example as shown, one of theplates may be a rigidly supported plate 50 and the other plate may be aflexibly supported plate 52 positioned above the rigidly supported plate50. As shown in FIG. 5A, when the device is in an upright position(e.g., rigidly supported plate 50 on the bottom, flexibly supportedplate 52 on the top) the device may have a first capacitance value, C1,that is determined by a first distance 54, d1, between the plates 50 and52. However, when the device is in the inverted position, as shown inFIG. 5B (e.g., rigidly supported plate 50 on the top, flexibly supportedplate 52 on the bottom), the force of gravity may cause the flexiblysupported plate 52 to move away from the rigidly supported plate 50 andmay cause the device to have a second capacitance value, C2, that may bedifferent from the first capacitance value, C1. Since the distance 56,d2, between the plates 50 and 52 may be greater in the inverted positionthan in the upright (or non-inverted) position, and since capacitancevalue may be inversely proportional to the distance between the plates,the second capacitance value (C2) may be smaller than the firstcapacitance value (C1). The orientation of the conductor plates 50, 52may be reversed such that the upright position may be defined by theflexibly supported plate 52 being below the rigidly supported plate 50.

The variable capacitance device may be designed and calibrated withrespect to a specific health condition. For example, in the case ofSIDS, where the concern relates to an infant rolling from their back totheir stomach, an acceleration shift from 1 G to −1 G is reflected. Assuch, the sensitivity may be relatively low. That is, the support forthe flexibly supported plate 52 may be relatively stiff. However, wherea similar device is also being used to sense breathing or otherrelatively small accelerations, the sensitivity may be relatively highand the support for the flexibly supported plate 52 may be relativelyflexible. Other known and later developed accelerometer designs may beappropriate for use in the devices described herein.

Similarly, the microphone may be a micro-electro-mechanical systems(MEMS) microphone. As such, the microphone may take the form of avariable capacitance circuit with a capacitance value determined by thespacing between a diaphragm and a back plate. Sound, which generally maybe described as a moving air pressure wave, may cause the diaphragm tovibrate such that the capacitance value changes in the circuit due, atleast in part, to the changing position of the diaphragm relative to theback plate. The sound may thus be transformed into an electrical signalvia the variable capacitance circuit. Alternatively, the microphone maybe an electret condenser type of microphone (ECM).

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating actions taken in response to a signal,in accordance with some examples of the present disclosure. The exampleactions may include stimulation, notification, monitor and mitigate. Theresponder 32 of a system as described with respect to FIG. 1 may includeone or more of a stimulation device 58 to provide the stimulationaction, a notification device 60 to provide the notification action, amonitoring/storage device 62 to provide the monitor action, and amitigation device 64 to provide the mitigate action.

Regarding the stimulation device 58, several health conditions may lendthemselves toward this action. For example, sleep apnea, SIDS, heartconditions, contractions, diabetes, and snoring may be appropriatelytreated, at least temporarily, by stimulating the user. For theconditions relating to breathing, several methods of stimulation may beused such as sounding an alarm, a tone, or other audible stimuli inclose proximity to the user. These devices may be positioned on oraround the user so as to stimulate them when activated. In otherexamples, a vibratory or other mechanical stimulus such as a poking,prodding, shaking, or squeezing device may be used. These devices may beattached to the user, placed beneath the user, or otherwise positionedto physically contact and arouse the user. In the case of heartarrhythmias, audible or mechanical agitation methods may be sufficientto arouse the patient and correct a minor arrhythmia. However, in someexamples, the stimulus may involve shocking the user in an attempt tocorrect the arrhythmia. This may occur through the use of patches orother electrode-type devices positioned on the abdomen wall, which areconfigured to deliver an electric current with a shocking voltagesimilar to a defibrillation or cardioversion device. In the case ofcontractions, the stimulus may actually be an injection or other dosingintended to prevent further contractions. Regarding diabetes, a stimulussimilar to those described for breathing conditions may be sufficient toarouse a diabetic suffering from low blood sugar allowing them tocorrect the deficiency by eating, drinking, or other known techniques.In the above cases, the stimulation action may interrupt and may treat agiven sensed condition or occurrence.

Regarding the notification device 60, several health related conditionsor occurrences may lend themselves toward a notification action. Forexample, falling, heart conditions, and SIDS may lend themselves tonotification of someone who can assist the user. An elderly person in anursing home may require assistance from staff after a fall. A light ona light board or in the hallway may be activated to trigger the staff.In another example, a notification on a computer screen may be provided.Similarly, a user suffering from a heart condition may need hands onsupport to treat a heart arrhythmia or myocardial infarction. As such,similar notifications may be made to hospital staff, family members, oran emergency response service. In the case of SIDS, whether breathinghas stopped or the infant has rolled onto their stomach, a notificationof parents may be appropriate and may include a sound alarm or othernotification allowing the parent to attend to the infant.

In addition to the notification devices mentioned, additionalnotification devices may be positioned more proximal to the user. Forexample, regarding falling, a device proximally located to the user maynotify the user triggering them to tell a monitoring party that they arenot in need of assistance. That is, the level of acceleration sensed bythe sensor may be relatively low reflecting a mild fall or that thehealth-sensing device had been inadvertently bumped. A device may bepositioned on the user or proximally to the user and may light up orotherwise notify the user that their device has indicated a fall. If theuser is not in need of assistance the user may notify a third party thatno assistance is needed. In one example, a notification device may bepositioned on the health-sensing device positioned on the user. Thisexample may also include a button or other actuatable element allowingthe user to notify the third party that they do not need help by pushingthe button or other actuatable element and triggering a transmissionsignal. In another example, a user with a heart condition may benotified of an irregular heart beat prior to them being able to feel thecondition. This may allow the user to sit down or otherwise be proactivein addressing a given condition or occurrence. Several devices fornotifying others are known and are within the scope of the presentdisclosure. These may include pagers, computers, cell phones using textmessages, and other notification devices.

Regarding storing/monitoring devices 62, many of the conditions may beappropriate for this action. In some examples, a stored or monitoredhistory may be relevant to analyzing a condition, occurrence, or seriesof occurrences. One suitable action may involve storing the sensed data,or the existence of a condition or occurrence, for later reference andanalysis. Additionally, a continuous display may be appropriate for livemonitoring and analysis of a given condition.

Regarding mitigation devices 64, a mitigation action may be appropriatewhere an indicating episode is not being prevented or stopped, butrather may be coped with. For example, in the case of snoring, a soundcancellation device may be used to model the snoring and send out acanceling signal so as to reduce the disruption of a sleep partner of asnoring person. Additionally, a mitigation action may be appropriatewhere pain is associated with the indicating episode and thus medicinemay be dispensed to reduce the pain suffered by a user.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a sound cancelling mitigation device66, in accordance with some examples of the present disclosure. Asshown, the device 66 may include a microphone 68, which may receive asnoring sound from a snorer. An inverse waveform generator 70 may alsobe included with an inverting amplifier. The generator 70 may receivethe sound wave from the microphone 68, via a wired or wirelessconnection. The inverse waveform generator 70 may create an inversewaveform and may send that wave form to a speaker 72 via a wired orwireless connection. The speaker 72 may then broadcast a soundcancelling signal making the snoring sound less apparent. As such, theeffect of the snoring sound on others around the snorer may be reduced.Further discussion regarding cancellation signals may be found in patentapplication titled Noise Cancellation in Phone Conversation,incorporated above.

Referring now to FIG. 8, the health-sensing device 34 may be adapted tomonitor a user 80 for snoring in accordance with some examples of thepresent disclosure. In FIG. 8, the user 80 is shown with ahealth-sensing device 34, which may be in the form of a patch,positioned adjacent to the user's chest. In this example, thehealth-sensing device 34 may have a microphone-based sensor 22 forsensing sound and as such may be positioned anywhere it will reasonablypick up snoring sounds. This may be on the chest as shown, but couldalso be on the neck, arm, or other bodily location, or otherwise locatedoff of the body of the user 80. When the user 80 begins to snore, snoreloudly, snore continuously, or otherwise exceed a threshold, the device34 may transmit a signal to a health-action device 35 allowing for atleast a stimulation action or a mitigation action. In the case of astimulation action, the user 80 may be stimulated with, for example, avibratory or sound type alarm to stop the snoring. This could be any ofthe stimulation actions or devices discussed with respect to FIG. 6 orany other stimulation. In the case of mitigation action, the device 34may transmit a signal allowing a sound cancellation device 66 to beactivated so as to reduce the effect on the user's sleep partner. Asshown, the health-sensing device 34 described in FIG. 2 may sensesnoring and transmit a transmission signal 77 via a transmitter 26 to areceiver 28 of a health-action device 35 as discussed with respect toFIG. 1. The health-action device 35 may incorporate a sound cancellationdevice 66. The health-action device 35 may include a receiver 28, aprocessor 30 and a responder 32. The receiver 28 may be coupled to theprocessor 30, for example, with an information bus 29 for carryinginformation from the receiver 28 to the processor 30 in the form of areceiver signal. The processor 30 may be coupled to the responder 32,for example, with an information bus 31 for carrying information fromthe processor 30 to the responder 32 in the form of a responder signal.

In the present example, the health-sensing device 34 may transmit asignal indicative of a snoring event to the health-action device 35. Thereceiver 28 of the health-action device 35, may then send a signal tothe processor 30, which may, in turn, drive the responder 32. In thepresent example, the responder 32 may take the form of a switch controlfor activating and deactivating the sound cancellation device 66. Whenactivated, the sound cancellation device 66, as described regarding FIG.7, may receive snoring sounds, create an inverse wave form, and emit acancelling sound to mitigate the snoring. Alternatively, the soundcanceling device 66 and the health-action device 35 could be separateunits. Moreover, the microphone 68 may be omitted and the health-sensingdevice 34 may be adapted, not only to sense snoring and compare thesnoring to a threshold as discussed, but may also be configured torecord and transmit the snoring wave form to the health-action devicealong with the signal that indicates an indicative snoring condition.Moreover, the health-sensing device 34 and health-action device 35 maybe combined into a single unit capable of sensing snoring, comparing thesound to a threshold, and selectively emitting a canceling sound.

Referring to FIG. 9, a health-sensing device 34 may be adapted tomonitor a sleep partner 84 of a snoring individual 86 in accordance withsome examples of the present disclosure. That is, the sleep partner 84may act restless or produce other measurable factors during sleep thatmay be detected. These measurable factors may include rapid eyemovement, increased body temperature, or other movements reflectingrestlessness. These acts may be detected by the sensors 22 positioned onthe sleep partner 84 including a rapid eye movement sensor, athermometer, or accelerometers consistent with the present disclosure.Other suitable sensors 22, which will detect irritation of a sleepingindividual, may also be within the scope of the present disclosure. Whenthe sleep partner becomes sufficiently agitated, the device 34 maytransmit a signal to a health action device 35, which may activate asound cancellation device 66. The cancellation device 66 may model thesnoring sound and emit a cancellation signal to reduce the effect on thesleep partner 84. Alternatively, the signal may be used to activate astimulation device to arouse the snorer sufficiently to get them to stopsnoring as discussed with respect to the stimulation action of FIG. 6.As shown, the health-sensing device 34 described in FIG. 2 may sensesnoring and transmit a transmission signal 77 to a health-action device35. The health-action device 35 may include a receiver 28, a processor30 and a responder 32. As with the health-sensing device 34, thereceiver 28 may be coupled to the processor 30, for example, with aninformation bus 29 for carrying information from the receiver 28 to theprocessor 30 in the form of a receiver signal. The processor 30 may becoupled to the responder 32, for example, with an information bus 31 forcarrying information from the processor 30 to the responder 32 in theform of a responder signal. In the present example, the health-sensingdevice 34 may transmit a signal indicative of a snoring event to thehealth-action device 35. The receiver 28 of the health-action device 35,may then send a signal to the processor 30, which may, in turn, drivethe responder 32. In the present example, the responder 32 may take theform of a switch control for activating and deactivating the soundcancellation device 66. When activated, the sound cancellation device66, as described regarding FIG. 7, may receive snoring sounds, create aninverse wave form, and emit a cancelling sound to mitigate the snoring.Alternatively, the sound canceling device and the health-action device35 may be a single unit.

Other applications of similar health-sensing devices 34 andhealth-action devices 35 may include, but are not limited to, monitoringSIDS, elderly falls, heartbeat, and snoring as discussed in thefollowing patent applications (incorporated above):

-   -   Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Prevention Clothing;    -   Elderly Fall Detection;    -   Microphone for Remote Health Sensing; and    -   Snoring Suppressant.

FIG. 10 is a diagram of a method of monitoring indicators of a healthrelated condition or occurrence according to some examples of thepresent disclosure. The method may include one or more ofoperations/actions/blocks 88, 90, 92, 84, 96, 98 and 100.

The method may include providing a health-sensing device capable oftaking an indicative measurement and analyzing the result at block 88.The method may further include sensing a measurable factor at block 90,analyzing the result at block 92, and determining if an indicator of ahealth related condition or occurrence has been detected at block 94.The method may also include selectively or continually transmitting asignal at block 96 and receiving the transmitted signal at block 98. Themethod may also include storing/displaying the data, stimulating theuser, notifying a third party, or providing mitigation at block 100.

In some described methods, a health-sensing device 34 as discussed withrespect to FIGS. 1-7 may be used. Sensing a measurable factor at block90 may be performed by a sensor 22. In addition, analyzing the result atblock 92 and determining if an indicator of a health related conditionor occurrence has been detected at block 94 may be performed by a filter24. Selectively or continually transmitting a signal and receiving thetransmitted signal may each be performed by a respective transmitter 26and receiver 28. Decisions regarding what action to take may beperformed by a processor 30 and the additional step 100 may be performedby a responder 32.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a method for a health-sensing deviceto monitor a user for a health related condition is shown according tosome examples of the present disclosure. The method may include one ormore of operations/actions/blocks 236, 238, and 240.

The method may include sensing sound associated with the snorer togenerate a sensor signal at block 236. The sensor may be provided on asubstrate and the substrate may be affixed to or otherwise positioned onor adjacent the user. The method may also include analyzing the sensorsignal to determine if the snorer is snoring at block 238. The methodmay further include initiating a transmission responsive to the analysisof the sensor signal at block 240.

In the present method, a health-sensing device 34 as discussed withrespect to FIGS. 1-9 may be used. Sensing sound associated with thesnorer to generate a sensor signal at block 236 may be performed by asensor 22 in the form of, for example, a microphone. Analyzing thesensor signal to determine if the snorer is snoring at block 238 may beperformed by a filter 24. Initiating a transmission responsive to theanalysis of the sensor signal at block 240 may be performed by atransmitter 26.

Some or all of the elements of the health-sensing device orhealth-action device may be provided in a computer environment. Forexample, the filter of the health-sensing device or the processor of thehealth-action device may be provided in a computer environment. In someother examples, the health-sensing device and/or the health-actiondevice may be provided in a computer environment. As shown in FIG. 12, acomputing system may include a computer 501, including a centralprocessing unit (CPU) or a processor 502, main memory 503 and one ormore bulk storage devices 504. The processor 502 may generally be of anydesired configuration including but not limited to a microprocessor(μP), a microcontroller (μC), a digital signal processor (DSP), ASIC, orany combination thereof. Thus, the processor 502 may include logic forexecuting program instructions and other functional blocks such as, forexample, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a floating point unit (FPU), adigital signal processing (DSP) core, registers, accumulators and so on.The main memory 503, which may be any suitable form of memory including,but not limited to, volatile memory such as random access memory (RAM),non-volatile memory such as read only memory (ROM) or flash memories,data storage devices such as magnetic disk storage (e.g., hard diskdrive or HDD), tape storage, optical storage (e.g., compact disk or CD,digital versatile disk or DVD), or other machine-readable storagemediums that may be removable, non-removable, volatile or non-volatile.In an example, as shown in FIG. 12, a process for monitoring a user fora health related condition or occurrence may be stored in memory 503,such as the non-volatile memory. In another example, the process may beexecuted by running an application program 507. In still other examples,the process may be executed by the processor 502.

The bulk storage devices 504 and their associated computer storage mediaprovide storage of computer readable instructions, data structures,program modules and other data for the computer 501. The bulk storagedevices 504 may also include an operating system 506, applicationprograms 507, program modules 508, and a database 580. The computer 501may include user input devices 590 through which a user may entercommands and data. The user input devices may include an electronicdigitizer, a microphone, a keyboard and pointing device, commonlyreferred to as a mouse, trackball or touch pad. Other input devices mayinclude a joystick, game pad, satellite dish, scanner, or the like.

These and other input devices may be coupled to the processor 502through a user input interface that may be coupled to a system bus ormay be coupled by other interface and bus structures, such as a parallelport, game port or a universal serial bus (USB). Computer 501 may alsoinclude other peripheral output devices such as speakers, which may becoupled through an output peripheral interface 594 or the like.

The computer 501 may operate in a networked environment using logicalconnections to one or more computers, such as a remote computer coupledto network interface 596. The remote computer may be a personalcomputer, a server, a router, a network PC, a peer device or othercommon network node, and may include many or all of the elementsdescribed above relative to computer 501. The remote computer may beconsidered the other of the client or the server depending on thedesignation of the computer 501. Networking environments are commonplacein offices, enterprise-wide area networks (WAN), local area networks(LAN), intranets and the Internet. Source and destination machines neednot be coupled by a network 509 or any other means, but instead, datamay be migrated via any media capable of being written by the sourceplatform and read by the destination platform or platforms. When used ina LAN or WLAN networking environment, the computer 501 is coupled to theLAN through a network interface 596 or an adapter. When used in a WANnetworking environment, computer 501 may include a modem or other meansfor establishing communications over the WAN, such as the Internet ornetwork 509. Other means of establishing a communications link betweenthe computers may be used.

Several modifications may be made to the examples disclosed herein andthat the result may still be within the scope of the present disclosure.Moreover, those of skill in the art will understand and appreciate thatadditional uses beyond those described are within the scope of thepresent disclosure.

For example, the device may be adapted to monitor restless leg syndrome,seizures, or Tourette's syndrome. Restless leg syndrome may be monitoredfor accelerations exceeding normal accelerations experienced whilesleeping. Similarly, Tourette's syndrome users and those users sufferingfrom seizures may be monitored for accelerations exceeding thosenormally experienced in every day life. Several other health relatedconditions are directly or indirectly related to motion and applicationof a health-sensing device to these conditions may be within the scopeof the present disclosure.

In some examples, based at least in part on the organization andproximity of the devices disclosed herein, the transmission step may notbe necessary. As such, the filter and the processor may be combined into a single filter/processor.

The foregoing describes various examples of health sensing. Followingare specific examples of methods, devices, and systems of healthsensing. These are for illustration only and are not intended to belimiting. In one example, a health-sensing device for a snorer mayinclude a microphone configured to sense sound from the snorer andgenerate a sensor signal in response to the sensed sound, a filterconfigured to receive the sensor signal, determine if a snoring soundhas been detected, and generate a filter signal when the snoring soundis detected, and a transmitter configured to receive the filter signaland generate a transmission responsive to the filter signal. In anotherexample, to determine if a snoring sound has been detected, the filteris further configured to compare the sound sensed by the microphone to athreshold decibel level. In another example, the device may also includea stimulation device, wherein the filter is configured to initiate asignal driving the transmitter when snoring has been detected, thetransmitter configured to send a signal to activate the stimulationdevice. In another example, a health-sensing system may include theabove device and another device in data communication with the abovedevice, the another device including a receiver, a processor, and aresponder, wherein the processor is configured to the responder. Inanother example, the responder may be a sound canceling device, thesound canceling device including a microphone, a wave form generator,and a speaker, wherein the sound canceling device is configured toreceive the sound, model the sound, create an inversely related sound,and emit the inversely related sound. In another example, the anotherdevice may include a sensor configured to sense sleep irritation of asleep partner of the user and transmit a sensor signal to the filter. Inanother example, the filter is further configured to determine if thesleep partner is irritated and also configured to include sleep partnerirritation in a decision of whether to generate the filter signal.

In another example, a health-sensing device for a sleep partner of asnorer may include a sensor configured to monitor sleep irritation ofthe sleep partner and generate a sensor signal in response to themonitored sleep irritation, a filter configured to receive the sensorsignal, determine if the sleep partner is irritated, and generate afilter signal when irritation is detected, and a transmitter configuredto receive the filter signal and generate a transmission responsive tothe filter signal. In another example, the sensor is a motion basedsensor adapted to sense motion of the sleep partner. In another example,the sensor is a rapid eye movement sensor adapted to sense the sleepstate of the sleep partner. In another example, a health-sensing systemmay include the above device and another device in data communicationwith the above device, the another device configured to receive thetransmission and generate a receiver signal and a processor configuredto receive the receiver signal and generate a processor signal to drivea responder adapted to stimulate a snorer or mitigate a snoringcondition. In another example, the responder is a sound canceling deviceadapted to mitigate a snoring condition. In another example, the soundcanceling device may include a microphone adapted to receive snoringsounds, a wave form generator with an inverse wave form amplifieradapted to receive a snoring wave form from the microphone and generatean inverse wave form, and a speaker configured to emit the inverse waveform. In another example, the responder is a stimulation device adaptedto stimulate the snorer. In another example, the stimulation device isfurther adapted to arouse the snorer.

In another example, a method for a health-sensing device to monitor asnorer may include sensing sound associated with the snorer to generatea sensor signal, analyzing the sensor signal to determine if the snoreris snoring, and initiating a transmission responsive to the analysis ofthe sensor signal. In another example, determining if the snorer issnoring includes comparing the sound associated with the snorer to athreshold level. In another example, the method may also includereceiving the transmission and performing a process responsive to thetransmission. In another example, performing a process includesstimulating the snorer with a stimulating device so as to arouse thesnorer thereby interrupting the snoring. In another example, performinga process includes driving a sound canceling device. In another example,the method may also include sensing the sleep irritation of a sleeppartner and determining if the sleep partner is irritated.

The present disclosure is not to be limited in terms of the particularexamples described in this application, which are intended asillustrations of various aspects. Many modifications and variations maybe made without departing from its spirit and scope, as may be apparentto those skilled in the art. Functionally equivalent methods andapparatuses within the scope of the disclosure, in addition to thoseenumerated herein, may be apparent to those skilled in the art from theforegoing descriptions. Such modifications and variations are intendedto fall within the scope of the appended claims. The present disclosureis to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims, along withthe full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It isto be understood that this disclosure is not limited to particularmethods, reagents, compounds compositions or biological systems, whichmay, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminologyused herein is for the purpose of describing particular examples only,and is not intended to be limiting.

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singularterms herein, those having skill in the art may translate from theplural to the singular or from the singular to the plural as isappropriate to the context and/or application. The varioussingular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sakeof clarity.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, in general,terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodiesof the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g.,the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limitedto,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” theterm “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limitedto,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art thatif a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, suchan intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence ofsuch recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid tounderstanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of theintroductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claimrecitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed toimply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinitearticles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing suchintroduced claim recitation to examples containing only one suchrecitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases“one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or“an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should be interpreted to mean “at least one”or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articlesused to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specificnumber of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, thoseskilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should beinterpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the barerecitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, means at leasttwo recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in thoseinstances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C,etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the senseone having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “asystem having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not belimited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and Btogether, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and Ctogether, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “atleast one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a constructionis intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understandthe convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” wouldinclude but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, Calone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A,B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those withinthe art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting twoor more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, ordrawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities ofincluding one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. Forexample, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include thepossibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”

As will be understood by one skilled in the art, for any and allpurposes, such as in terms of providing a written description, allranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all possible subrangesand combinations of subranges thereof. Any listed range may be easilyrecognized as sufficiently describing and enabling the same range beingbroken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths,tenths, etc. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein maybe readily broken down into a lower third, middle third and upper third,etc. As will also be understood by one skilled in the art all languagesuch as “up to,” “at least,” “greater than,” “less than,” and the likeinclude the number recited and refer to ranges which may be subsequentlybroken down into subranges as discussed above. Finally, as will beunderstood by one skilled in the art, a range includes each individualmember. Thus, for example, a group having 1-3 cells refers to groupshaving 1, 2, or 3 cells. Similarly, a group having 1-5 cells refers togroups having 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 cells, and so forth.

Claimed subject matter is not limited in scope to the particularimplementations described herein. For example, some implementations maybe in hardware, such as employed to operate on a device or combinationof devices, for example, whereas other implementations may be insoftware and/or firmware. Likewise, although claimed subject matter isnot limited in scope in this respect, some implementations may includeone or more articles, such as a storage medium or storage media. Thisstorage media, such as CD-ROMs, computer disks, flash memory, or thelike, for example, may have instructions stored thereon, that, whenexecuted by a system, such as a computer system, computing platform, orother system, for example, may result in execution of a processor inaccordance with claimed subject matter, such as one of theimplementations previously described, for example. As one possibility, acomputing platform may include one or more processing units orprocessors, one or more input/output devices, such as a display, akeyboard and/or a mouse, and one or more memories, such as static randomaccess memory, dynamic random access memory, flash memory, and/or a harddrive.

In the preceding description, various aspects of claimed subject matterhave been described. For purposes of explanation, specific numbers,systems and/or configurations were set forth to provide a thoroughunderstanding of claimed subject matter. However, it should be apparentto one skilled in the art and having the benefit of this disclosure thatclaimed subject matter may be practiced without the specific details. Inother instances, well-known features were omitted and/or simplified soas not to obscure claimed subject matter. While certain features havebeen illustrated and/or described herein, many modifications,substitutions, changes and/or equivalents will now, or in the future,occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understoodthat the appended claims are intended to cover all such modificationsand/or changes as fall within the true spirit of claimed subject matter.

The herein described subject matter sometimes illustrates differentcomponents contained within, or coupled with, different othercomponents. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures aremerely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures may beimplemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense,any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality iseffectively “associated” such that the desired functionality isachieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve aparticular functionality may be seen as “associated with” each othersuch that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective ofarchitectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components soassociated may also be viewed as being “operably connected”, or“operably coupled”, to each other to achieve the desired functionality,and any two components capable of being so associated may also be viewedas being “operably couplable”, to each other to achieve the desiredfunctionality. Specific examples of operably couplable include but arenot limited to physically mateable and/or physically interactingcomponents and/or wirelessly interactable and/or wirelessly interactingcomponents and/or logically interacting and/or logically interactablecomponents.

While various aspects and examples have been disclosed herein, otheraspects and examples will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Thevarious aspects and examples disclosed herein are for purposes ofillustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scopeand spirit being indicated by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A health-sensing device for placement on a user,the health-sensing device comprising: an accelerometer configured tosense motion corresponding to a breathing pattern of the user andgenerate a sensor signal in response to the sensed motion; a filterconfigured to receive the sensor signal, determine if an apnea event hasbeen detected, and generate a filter signal in response to detecting theapnea event, the filter signal comprising instructions relating to anaction to be taken in response to the apnea event; and a transmitterconfigured to receive the filter signal and generate a transmissionresponsive to the filter signal.
 2. The health-sensing device of claim1, wherein the sensor signal is provided as a continuous signal or aplurality of discrete signals generated at a selected time interval. 3.The health-sensing device of claim 1, wherein the filter is configuredto determine, responsive to the sensed motion, whether a change invelocity indicating an onset of a sleep apnea event has occurred andsend a filter signal.
 4. The health-sensing device of claim 1, whereinthe filter is configured to determine a length of a gap in the breathingpattern of the user.
 5. The health-sensing device of claim 4, whereinthe filter is further configured to compare the length of the gap to athreshold value.
 6. The health-sensing device of claim 4, wherein thethreshold value is programmable by the user.
 7. The health-sensingdevice of claim 4, wherein the transmitter is configured to generate atransmission when the length of the gap exceeds 10 seconds.
 8. Thehealth-sensing device of claim 1, wherein the filter is furtherconfigured to store historical information of the breathing pattern ofthe user.
 9. The health-sensing device of claim 1, wherein the filter isconfigured to identify inconsistencies in the breathing pattern of theuser.
 10. The health-sensing device of claim 1, wherein theaccelerometer, the filter, and the transmitter are provided on asubstrate adapted to be affixed to the user.
 11. A method for monitoringa user for sleep apnea using a health-sensing device placed on the user,the method comprising: sensing a motion corresponding to a breathingpattern of the user by sensing a change in velocity of the user's chestto generate a sensor signal; analyzing the sensor signal to determinewhether an apnea event has been detected; and initiating a transmissionresponsive to a determination of an apnea event of the user, thetransmission comprising instructions relating to an action to be takenin response to the apnea event.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein theanalyzing comprises determining, responsive to the sensed motion,whether the change in velocity is indicative of an apnea event, themethod further comprising generating a signal indicative of the onset ofthe apnea event.
 13. The method of claim 11, wherein the analyzingcomprises identifying a gap or an irregularity in the breathing patternof the user.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein a transmission isinitiated if a length of the gap exceeds 10 seconds.
 15. The method ofclaim 13, further comprising comparing a length of the identified gap toa threshold value and generating a signal indicative of the onset of anapnea event when the length of the gap exceeds the threshold value. 16.The method of claim 15, wherein the threshold value is programmable bythe user.
 17. The method of claim 11, further comprising stimulating theuser in response to a transmission signal indicating an apnea event. 18.The method of claim 11, further comprising storing historicalinformation of the breathing pattern of the user.